A quick repair or a deferred Romance?
by Netta Sloan
Summary: mangabased.  Ed gets worked up as Winry repairs his arm.


When she had first started on the repairs he had been alright. He wasn't forced to look up at her face or feel her hair gently graze his chest. He could lie, quite comfortably, on his stomach and face the wall. Let her think he had other things on his mind. He should have other things on his mind, like the current mess they were in or their safety, but for the last 20 minutes the only thing on his mind had been her and how he wished someone, anyone, was in the room with them. He tried to tune out the sharp clicks and clacks of her tweezers and concentrate on something else besides how soft her arm was when it braced against his side as she dug into his false muscles. The old chemistry gimmick had worked for about 3 seconds, alchemy lessons lasted just 2. Everything led back to her.

He had been relieved when the work stopped; glad she was done so he could slip off to somewhere alone. Fate though had cursed him with a store of irritation for the routine. Her voice was quiet as she asked him to sit up. He swallowed heavily as he obeyed without questioning for once. His gulp was audible as she sat on the bed mere inches from him, turning until they were completely facing. He studied her face as she reached for something on the side table. She was pale, some of her Resembool tan faded in the cold. Her blue eyes seemed both very sad and very determined. There were teeth marks embedded deeply into her bottom lip. He wondered what had happened to her ponytail as she pushed her hair back from her face before leaning closer to him.

He didn't know what possessed him as she came closer. Maybe it was that unconsciously licked that abused bottom lip, maybe it was that her hair had already escaped her ears with that simply movement and was hanging in her face again, maybe it was just that none of the usual tricks had worked during this repair. He leaned in response closing his eyes as she came closer. He opened his eyes in disappointment when his lips grazed over hair and moved back.

"Ed, hold still."

He froze at her voice, waiting until she said it was alright to move again. She leaned back and placed something on the bed. He craned his neck to the side only to see a portion of his automail placed there. His eyes sparkled with confusion before humiliation crept in. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment at what he had thought she was doing. He jerked a little as she moved closer, their legs touching and she leaned even farther down to get at his arm. He licked his lips and ran his free hand through his hair, hoping she hadn't noticed.

He waited somewhat impatiently as she tinkered; toes drumming the bed and fingers playing with the ends of her hair. She let out a sigh of exasperation and raggedly threw her hair back again, the strands catching for a second on his fingertips. She sat back and glared at him, tapping her screwdriver against her knee in agitation. He saw what she wanted before she voiced it and lay back on the bed. She smiled at his action and he smiled back, gesturing for her to continue.

He watched as she scooted up his side, the smile still on her lips and screwdriver in hand. He was alright for the first few minutes as she worked. He had almost driven all of the wrong thoughts from his mind when he felt a warm hand slide onto his chest. He took a deep breath and held it as he glanced at her. He let it out as he realized that all of her attention was still on his arm and she wasn't even focusing at all on what she used to brace herself. The hand slid up and over his collarbones as she leaned over his chest. He watched in apprehension, feeling the heat of a blush return to his face. Her hair tickled his chest as she laid her head almost completely on him, trying in vain with the screwdriver and the bad light to get at something in his arm.

The warmth on his face slid down his chest and abdomen to rest somewhere completely inconvenient and he felt his heart catch as he saw her tongue swivel over her lips again. The air of her breath rushed across his nipple as she exhaled in frustration, her bottom lip caught in the grid of her gritted teeth. He felt his entire body stiffening and desperately tried to think of anything else besides Winry. The mantra of all things unpleasant froze as something popped in his arm and she instantly began to sit up. He couldn't bear it anymore as she came so close he could make out the shadows of her eyelashes.

In horror and hope, unable to control himself he brought his left hand up, tangling in the hair on the back of her head. His breath sped up in anticipation as she turned to him, a questioning look in her eyes before he closed his own and forced her lips down on his. He felt her freeze and grasped her tighter, kissing her harder, willing her to give in to him. He tried to bring his right arm up to encircle her waist, but it wouldn't bend right at the elbow. He broke off the kiss, confusion crossing his face as he looked towards his arm and then back at Winry. She glared at him, but the look softened at whatever was visible on his face.

Shaking her head gently she sat back up, pushing his arm down and straightening it out again. He was incredulous at the rejection, part angry, part sad, and horribly guilty at what he had done. He watched as she completely missed his reaction, jerking at something in his stupid arm instead. He felt something slip inside and she held up the screwdriver to the light, comparing it to her finger. He felt the angry part of himself beginning to demand attention when she looked back at him, freezing him. She gave him a light smile, mouthing "later" before reaching over and smoothing his bangs back out of his face. When he opened his eyes a moment later her teeth had claimed her lip again and a ratchet had appeared in her hand.


End file.
